Title: Bad Blood
Series: "Reflections of Dawn." part 2.
Author: Ellie Dee
Email: Ellie_Dee@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Summary: Someone besides the Slayer is hunting down the vampires of Sunnydale. Is their motive noble or not?
Spoilers: Anything through Season 5 is fair game.
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer is owned by Mutant Enemy, Fox and WB. In other words,Joss is God and I am nothing.
Feedback: This is the only way I get "PAID" and right now I've got a bunch of bills staring me in the face. So, PLEASE!
Distribution: As long as my name and Email stay on it you can have it. Just let me know where it goes.
Authors Notes: This is my somewhat demented idea about how Season 5 should actually go.

"Bad Blood."
By Ellie Dee


The vampire's name was Gordon. A trackman when he was alive, he had been considered one of the fastest guys in the state. Whether it was the 100 meter or the 15,000 meter it didn't matter. He loved to run, he had been good at it, good enough to keep Snyder off his ass.

But now Gordon was running for his life or rather his unlife. Something had been hunting vampires for over a month now. It had started soon after the Slayer had scared off Dracula. At first everyone had thought that it was the Slayer herself, but they soon found out that was wrong.

One talent few people knew older vampires had was the ability to read the dust pattern of a dead vampire. By doing that they could tell how a vampire had been slain.

None of the dead vampires had the Slayer's aura in their dust trails. That was when the vampire population of Sunnydale realized there was a new predator in town. This someone was doing a damn good job, so far in the past month 21 vampires had been dusted by someone other than the Slayer and her pals. At first they had been novices, but whoever it was kept going after more and more experienced vampires.

Gordon had been brought across two years before the Slayer had come to Sunnydale. He was smart and he was fast. The Master, the Mayor not to mention the assorted flavor of the week demon trying to take over the Hellmouth, he had outlasted them all. For six years he had been one of the most successful hunters around. But now he was running as if his very existence depended on it. Because it did.

He had been about to leave the cemetery to look for dinner when it had started after him. Whatever it was it kept to the shadows, it was fast and it was quiet. For the first time since he came across, Gordon knew fear.

This race had been going on for too long, he had to end it. Gordon was pretty sure he'd be safe if he could just get to the caverns near the crypt up ahead. This hunter didn't seem to like confined spaces.

Looking over his shoulder he couldn't see anything. Not slowing he headed around a hedgerow, just 40 more meters and he should be home free.

That was when something hit him in the legs. He went down hard, hitting the ground rolling. As soon as he stopped the thing was all over him hitting, kicking, clawing at his face and throat. Gordon fought as best he could, but he was a runner, he was used to chasing his prey and taking it down with a combination of fear and superior strength.

Well this thing was as strong as he was and it wasn't afraid. But Gordon was.

He continued to fight but the creature was like a wildcat, no matter what he tried he couldn't get the better of it. Finally the creature worked it's way around to Gordon's back where it latched on with it's arms and legs. He knew he was through, the creature was already pushing his head to the side. Probably getting ready to slash his neck with it's claws.

That's when he heard the creature speak for the very first time. It's terrible cry filled him with dread.

"Would you just stop fighting and die," grunted Dawn Summers as she sank her teeth into the vampires neck.

Once she had latched onto his neck, Dawn began to drink the vampire's cold, dark blood. The taste was far from pleasant but she couldn't resist the feeling of warmth and strength that suffused her body, she could feel herself filling with energy. Quickly she drained the last of the vampire's blood. Now, with nothing left to sustain it's spark of unlife, Gordon's body disintegrated to dust.

"Yuck, I don't know what tastes worse, their blood or getting dust in my mouth," she sputtered from where she was laying on the ground.

Rolling over Dawn began dusting herself off as she slowly climbed to her feet. Suddenly she stopped and dropped into a defensive stance.

"Who's there!" she demanded.

From a nearby tree light flared and she could now smell the odor of a cigarette. A moment later a familiar voice spoke.

"Well, well, well, Little Miss. Muffet is out playing at being the Slayer."

"Bite me Spike!"

Walking out into plain view, the blond Master vampire took a drag from his cigarette. Letting the smoke out in a stream, he spoke.

"Oh don't worry luv. I get this chip out of my head and I'll be having you for an hors d'oeuvre."

Dawn tried to relax, she didn't want Spike to see how nervous she really was. Straightening up she looked over at the blond vampire.

"What do you want Spike?"

"Oh nothing much, just doing a little snooping around. I was trying to find out who's been dusting all the vamps lately. Knew it couldn't be the Slayer, but I never would have thought it was you. Anyway, I got a look at some stuff that pretty much confirmed what I'd figured. Somebody's been killing vampires for their blood."

Looking around cautiously, Dawn asked, "Are you going to do anything to stop me?"

Spike stared at her for some time, he could tell she didn't like the silence. She probably felt like a fish on a hook, reeled in then given some line. Finally he spoke, "Naw, why should I? None of them would do a thing for me, why should I help them?"

"So you'd already figured out there was a leach in town?"

Pausing for effect, Spike took a contemplative puff. Casually he walked over to a nearby headstone and sat down. Patting the spot next to him, he stared at Dawn until she came over and sat down.

"You're not a bloody leach."

"But...."

"Oh stop with that Ann Rice, Vampire: The Mask crap! I've dread it ever since the Watcher's Council put out that damn game. All those wanna be Count Draculas and Lestats with their bloody damn Masquerades and clans and such. It's almost enough to turn me off the blood."

"The Watcher's Council created that game?"

"Sure, where do you think they get the money to operate? Raiding the coffers of the vampires the Slayer kills? Most vampires are lucky to have a place to sleep the day away."

"Oh and before you ask, you're not a ghoul either. There's no such thing. Can you imagine anything more ridicules than a vampire sharing his blood with a human without making him your childe? There'd be no bond between you, the vampire'd have no control over the human. And I gotta tell you that's just asking to be staked."

"But what about servants..."

"Servants? What, you mean humans? Any human who wants to serve a vampire isn't worth much in my book. Just a bunch of ass kissing lap dogs."

The anger that had been plain on Dawn's face had faded to be replaced by a deep sadness. Standing quickly she kept her eyes pointed at the ground. "Then what am I Spike? I'm not a vampire or a leach or a ghoul. So what am I, just some kind of freak?"

Throwing his cigarette down Spike got to his feet. Walking up, he stood in front of her. Reaching out he gently took her chin in his finger tips and raised her face till their eyes met.

"Girl you have a lot in common with my kind."

"I...I don't know what you mean."

"I can see it in you, the pain, the loneliness, the need to hunt. Whether you want to admit it or not you're like me, a hunter. The only thing you haven't experienced is the ecstasy of the blood."

"That's nothing special, I've had blood before."

Looking into her eyes a slight smile graced his lips, "I know you've been feeding off of vampires. But until you've come across you can't appreciate the true taste of blood. You just don't have the taste buds for it. You can't appreciate the dark ecstasy."

He could tell his words had struck home. He could see it in her eyes, the desire, the wanting to belong. She was like so many others he had come across over the years.

Drawing closer he brought his arms around encircling her. Holding her next to him he could feel her tremble, hear her breathing speed up and smell the excitement in her blood.

Slowly, he spoke to her in hushed tones as one would to a lover. Her hands came up as if to push him away but instead they wound themselves into his shirt and coat. He could feel her body melt into his as he lowered his lips to her slender neck.

Then suddenly Spike could feel her move; dropping her body slightly she twisted till her hip was just below his groin. Her grip tightened and she pulled hard, throwing him off balance.

Spike found himself flying though the air across Dawn's hip and being thrown to the ground. He landed with a great thud and immediately the girl was on him. Straddling his chest she started to push his head aside to bare his neck when she stopped.

At that moment a number of things went through Spike's mind. Part of it was fear, it was a small part but none the less it was there. The other thing was desire. This girl had a fire in her, an animal like intensity that called to him. It wasn't entirely sexual, it was more like he could see her potential, what he could help her become.

Looking into her eyes he could see that the longing and desire were gone. In their place was something akin to fear.

Leaning back, she took a deep shuddering breath and spoke, "Don't ever do that again Spike. I.... I don't owe... owe you anything..... As far as I'm concerned you're just another va... vampire."

With that Dawn quickly got to her feet and ran off, but not before Spike felt several of her tears fall across his chest. Sitting up he watched as the slender figure retreated into the night.

"Well, well, well, looks like things are going to get interesting around here."

Taking out his pack of cigarettes,he notices they've been crushed. Throwing them to the ground he paused and thought about what he had seen tonight. Then softly to himself he said, "Goodnight luv."